We all have a face, a unique face, “like” as well as “unlike” everybody else’s face. That may sound a great deal like double talk. But it’s true. Our face is unique and different from all other faces. That is a scientific fact. Every face has pretty much the same general features: eyes, nose, mouth, etc. Most are somewhat symmetrical because they are on the front of our somewhat round heads. People are recognized socially primarily by their facial features, secondarily by their body structure, height, weight and form. If I were to ask you, “What’s the first thing you notice when you look at a person?” It is unlikely that you would say their shoes. If you are honest, you will probably say it is their face.
A recent survey asked both men and women to name the first thing they notice when they meet someone of the opposite sex. The top answer for both men and women was their eyes. The second-most common answer for both was “smile.” Both very politically correct choices. In another study where people were asked, “What do you see in another person that may provide the best first impression?” the most frequent answer was the word, “smile.” Ask just any man on the street what they notice first about another person; the answer would most likely be: “Their face, of course.” Our faces are in the front of the body and uncovered.
They usually greet most everyone, even a stranger, with a smile— I have always liked people with a ready smile. The eyes would come in second because they reveal a lot. It is very true; our face is noticed first by the majority of other people. Our first impression of a another person’s honesty is by their face. If we were to ask a criminologist what the various ways are that you can identify people by, he would say by their fingerprints, and their DNA, which are both unique. He may also say by facial recognition software. Surprisingly, like fingerprints and DNA, our faces are also unique, even a little like snowflakes.
There are many other things, that we may notice about faces. There are very few things more beautiful to see than a small child’s face; it is innocent, it is curious, it is without blemish; and it is soft and bright and often smiling. It is truly too bad that we lose that freshness and beauty so soon. The adult face tells a different story; it may reveal many things about a person’s life. Have you ever heard the expressions used, “what a kind face” or “what a mean look on his face,” etc.? Our faces do indeed tell a lot about us. I read of an event the other day that told an even different story:
“During Thomas Jefferson’s presidency, he and a group of travelers were crossing a river that had overflowed its banks. Each man crossed on horseback fighting for his life. A lone traveler watched the group traverse the treacherous river, and then he asked President Jefferson to take him across. The president agreed without hesitation, the man climbed on, and the two made it safely to the other side of the river where somebody asked him: “Why did you select the President to ask this favor?” The man was shocked, admitting he had no idea it was the President of the United States who had carried him safely across.
“All I know,” he said, “is that on some of your faces was written the answer ‘No’ and on some of them was the answer ‘Yes.’ His was a ‘Yes’ face.” —Charles Swindoll
I have heard many expressions describing a person’s face, but I don’t believe that I have ever heard the expression, “He has a ‘Yes’ face.” Now that I am aware of such a face, I want one; I want a “Yes” face. In trying to contemplate what I must do to have a “Yes face,” I decided that I must be confident in what I know. Since I can’t know all things, then it means that I must be confident in knowing about a subject where I know people will see me and see my “Yes face.” Because I am currently a worker in family history and I help others learn how to find their families, I realize that I will have a “Yes face” only if I know a lot about family history. If I become confident in my knowledge of this work, those around me will say, “I can seek help from him—because he appears to have a ‘Yes face.’” I pray that all who work with people will develop their skills such that among their other unique facial features, such as their smile, that they will be confident in their work and be recognized as one who wears a “Yes face.” May God bless us to that end!